Album Review // Vince Staples // Dark Times

Def Jam Recordings

Vince Staples is tired; at least, he sounds that way. The rapper's sixth studio album arrives with lots of context around it being his last for Def Jam Recordings, all while he prepares for a second season of The Vince Staples Show over at Netflix. However, Staples' sheepish flow feels more like a feature than a bug these days; after releasing 2017's eclectic Big Fish Theory, an album literally designed to soundtrack movie trailers, he went on to deliver his self-titled magnum opus, a down-to-earth record complimented by vibey instrumentals courtesy of beloved producer Kenny Beats.

Instrumentally, Dark Times seems to fall somewhere between 2021's Vince Staples and 2022's clubbier Ramona Park Broke My Heart. Not unlike his Netflix show, Staples is left rapping about the way his life has changed with fame, a move that will either completely work for or frustrate listeners. This is consistent across the record as elsewhere Staples raps in somewhat empty platitudes ("Life hard, but I go harder," on "Little Homies") and offers a pleasant but strange spoken word outro ("Why Won't The Sun Come Out?") about visions and out-of-body experiences to close the record. Afterwards, one is left wondering whether this could be his last album for the foreseeable future, as well as how he manages to stay so mesmerizing even on such a lackadaisical effort.